Belview water scheme will help new jobs flow in south Kilkenny

21 Feb 2012

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THE first phase of the €23 million Belview Strategic Water Supply Scheme which will facilitate industrial development and job creation in South Kilkenny and the South East is to be officially opened on Friday by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan; IDA CEO, Barry O’Leary and Chairman of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Paul Cuddihy.

THE first phase of the €23 million Belview Strategic Water Supply Scheme which will facilitate industrial development and job creation in South Kilkenny and the South East is to be officially opened on Friday by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan; IDA CEO, Barry O’Leary and Chairman of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Paul Cuddihy.

The Belview Strategic Water Supply Scheme is an important economic infrastructure which will service 240 hectares of industrial land near Belview Port, and allow for the building of 10,000 additional houses in South Kilkenny and Waterford between now and 2031.

The Department of the Environment teamed up with Kilkenny County Council and the IDA to develop the water scheme.

With phase 1 completed the Belview Strategic Water Supply now provides 3,300 cubic metres or 725,000 gallons of water per day, primarily for industrial and enterprise use and also for the people and community of South Kilkenny. When all phases are completed, 15,000 cubic metres or 3.3 million gallons of water a day will be available, of which 9,000m³ or 2 million gallons will be available for industrial use - a major strategic capability.

The total investment for this phase of the scheme is €13 million of which €11 million was provided by the IDA and €2 million by Kilkenny County Council and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

The water supply infrastructure is matched by wastewater infrastructure with a wastewater treatment plant provided at a cost of €37 million by Waterford City Council, with capacity of 190,000 persons equivalent which the IDA has also supported.

Belview is four miles from Waterford City and a mile and ahalf from the village of Slieverue and incorporates 265 hectacres of zoned land including a Strategic IDA land bank, the Marine Point Business Park and Belview Port.

This scheme will be of important strategic benefit for the region by:

• Facilitating the development of water-intensive industry at Belview Industrial Park.

• Alleviating pressure on the domestic supply, which resulted in some water shortages over the past few years.

• Allowing for future housing development in the region.

The Belview Strategic Water Supply Scheme is one of the largest water supply schemes in County Kilkenny. It serves approximately 11,000 customers through 169km of pipework in the towns and villages of Mooncoin, Mullinavat, Kilmacow, Ferrybank, Slieverue and the surrounding areas.

Belview Port is the nearest deepwater major Irish port to mainland Europe, providing to shippers of both time and fuel while being a natural hub for the integration of port, shipping , road and rail freight services.

Two third of the Irish domestic market lie within a 160km radius of Belview with direct access to the mainland national rail network . The surrounding industrial area boasts substantial warehousing.

Kilkenny City and County Manager, Joe Crocket, says the water and wastewater infrastructure combined with port and rail services, the IDA Strategic Landbank, and other serviced and zoned lands make Belview a superb business opportunity.

Mr Crockett said the Belview Water Supply is an important development under the Invest Kilkenny programme, launched in 2010 to promote the area on its fast global access, high calibre workforce, and a great quality of life with a city steeped in a rich culture and heritage.

With the recent opening of the new M9 motorway, Kilkenny is only 70 minutes from Dublin Airport, and 30 minutes from Waterford with its regional airport and the Belview development zone, including Belview Port.

A Business Support Unit has been established to support the Invest Kilkenny initiative and a website www.investkilkenny.ie launched which includes a property finder and details of local business success stories.

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